Word Wizard
Marcus was reluctant to speak in front of the class. He looked down at his paper and quietly asked if someone else could present.
What does reluctant most likely mean?
A. Excited
B. Unwilling
C. Prepared
D. Confident
What is unwilling?
A student notices a classmate has forgotten lunch. Without being asked, she shares half of her own lunch.
Which character trait does she demonstrate?
A. Selfish
B. Generous
C. Impatient
D. Nervous
Which detail would be the BEST evidence to support the inference that a character is nervous?
A. She wore a blue shirt, blue shoes, a red hat, and a gold necklace.
B. She tapped her foot repeatedly and avoided eye contact.
C. She arrived at school early.
D. She carried three books.
What is She tapped her foot repeatedly and avoided eye contact?
A passage explains how bees pollinate flowers, produce honey, and communicate with one another.
What is the main idea?
A. Bees are dangerous insects.
B. Bees have several important behaviors and roles.
C. Flowers are more important than bees.
D. Honey is the only useful product bees make.
What is Bees have several important behaviors and roles?
An author writes an article that explains how tornadoes develop, describes the conditions that can cause them to form, and provides safety guidelines for people who may experience one. The author includes facts and explanations rather than trying to convince readers to support a particular opinion.
What is the author's primary purpose?
A. To persuade readers to change how they respond to severe weather
B. To entertain readers with dramatic stories about tornadoes
C. To criticize people who do not take severe weather warnings seriously
D. To inform readers about tornado formation and ways to stay safe
What is To inform readers about tornado formation and ways to stay safe?
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
What type of figurative language is used?
A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Hyperbole
What is personification?
At the beginning of a story, Jamal refuses to ask anyone for help because he believes doing so makes him look weak. After struggling with a difficult problem, he finally asks his teacher for assistance.
What does this event BEST reveal about Jamal?
A. He has become less responsible.
B. He has learned that accepting help can be a strength.
C. He no longer cares about solving problems and would rather run away.
D. He has become dependent on his teacher.
What is He has learned that accepting help can be a strength?
Carlos checked the clock every few minutes. He repeatedly looked toward the classroom door and sighed.
What can the reader infer?
A. Carlos is waiting for someone or something.
B. Carlos is enjoying his class.
C. Carlos has finished all of his work.
D. Carlos wants to leave school permanently.
What is Carlos is waiting for someone or something?
Before a new highway was built, residents of a small town had to travel nearly an hour to reach the nearest hospital. The highway reduced the trip to about twenty minutes. Although the road was originally constructed to improve transportation between communities, it also made it easier for residents to reach medical care quickly.
Which statement BEST expresses the central idea of the passage?
A. Highways are usually constructed to connect communities that are far apart.
B. A highway built to improve transportation also provided residents with faster access to medical care.
C. Residents of the town previously had difficulty finding transportation to the hospital.
D. Traveling to a hospital can take longer when communities are located far from major roads.
What is A highway built to improve transportation also provided residents with faster access to medical care?
“Although some teachers believe music can distract students, students should be allowed to listen to appropriate music during independent work because it may help them maintain focus and complete assignments more effectively.”
What is the author's primary purpose in making this statement?
A. To inform readers about the different opinions teachers have about classroom music
B. To entertain readers by describing how students behave while completing assignments
C. To persuade readers that allowing music during independent work can benefit students
D. To describe the different ways students choose to listen to music while working
What is To persuade readers that allowing music during independent work can benefit students?
Which word has the most positive connotation?
A. Stubborn
B. Pushy
C. Determined
D. Demanding
What is determined?
A character discovers that her best friend has been keeping an important secret. She confronts her friend, which causes an argument between them.
How does this incident affect the plot?
A. It introduces the setting.
B. It resolves the main conflict.
C. It creates a conflict that moves the story forward.
D. It provides background information about the characters.
What is It creates a conflict that moves the story forward?
After practicing for weeks, Marcus entered the science competition but did not win. Instead of giving up, he asked his teacher what he could improve. That afternoon, Marcus made a list of his mistakes and created a new study schedule. He returned to the competition the following year, determined to do better.
Which detail from the passage BEST supports the inference that Marcus is determined?
A. Marcus participated in a science competition after practicing for several weeks.
B. Marcus asked his teacher what he could improve after he did not win.
C. Marcus created a new study schedule and returned to the competition the following year.
D. Marcus made a list of his mistakes after the competition was over.
What is Marcus created a new study schedule and returned to the competition the following year?
When Marcus's first attempt at building a model bridge failed, he wanted to throw the project away. His science teacher suggested that he examine where the structure had become unstable. Marcus discovered that he had overlooked an important measurement. Instead of starting over immediately, he studied several bridge designs, corrected his measurements, and tried again. His second bridge held more weight than any other model in the class.
Which theme is BEST developed by the events in the passage?
A. Mistakes can provide opportunities to learn and improve.
B. Students should always ask teachers for help when they have difficult assignments.
C. Winning a competition requires studying the work of other people.
D. Successful people are those who complete a task correctly on their first attempt.
What is Mistakes can provide opportunities to learn and improve?
A passage explains that heavy rainfall caused a river to overflow, which resulted in flooding in nearby communities.
What text structure is used?
A. Compare and contrast
B. Cause and effect
C. Problem and solution
D. Chronological order
What is cause and effect?
“Finally, after months of practice, Maya stepped onto the stage. She smiled as the audience applauded.”
Which word BEST describes the tone?
A. Frustrated
B. Proud
C. Fearful
D. Angry
What is proud?
“I don't know if I can do this,” Marcus whispered. “But I'm going to try.”
What does this dialogue reveal about Marcus?
A. He is confident and fearless.
B. He is uncertain but determined.
C. He is angry with his teammates.
D. He has decided to give up.
What is He is uncertain but determined?
After losing the race, Tasha wiped away her tears. She congratulated the winner and immediately asked when the next race would be held.
What can the reader infer about Tasha?
A. She does not care about competition.
B. She is embarrassed and wants to quit because it was not fair.
C. She is disappointed but determined to improve.
D. She believes the winner cheated.
What is She is disappointed but determined to improve?
For many years, people believed that learning to play an instrument was mainly a way to develop musical talent. Researchers, however, have found that practicing an instrument can also strengthen skills such as concentration, memory, and coordination. Students must pay attention to patterns, remember information, and control their movements while playing.
Which statement BEST expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. Learning an instrument requires students to remember musical patterns and control their movements.
B. Musical talent is the most important reason students choose to learn an instrument.
C. Learning to play an instrument can develop skills that extend beyond musical ability.
D. Students who practice instruments spend a great deal of time concentrating on music.
What is Learning to play an instrument can develop skills that extend beyond musical ability?
An article explains how two students prepare differently for an exam. One creates flashcards, while the other uses a study group. The article explains the advantages and disadvantages of both methods.
Which text structure is primarily used?
A. Cause and effect
B. Chronological order
C. Compare and contrast
D. Problem and solution
What is Compare and contrast?
Read the sentence:
“Although the task seemed daunting, James remained determined to complete it.”
What does daunting mean as it is used in the sentence, and which context clue BEST helps determine its meaning?
A. Easy; “complete it”
B. Frightening or difficult; “remained determined”
C. Exciting; “James”
D. Interesting; “task”
What is Frightening or difficult; “remained determined”?
Jordan stared at the sign-up sheet for several minutes. He had practiced basketball all summer, but the thought of trying out in front of the coach and other players made him nervous. After taking a deep breath, Jordan wrote his name on the list. Even though he was afraid of failing, he decided that not trying would be worse than failing.
How does Jordan's decision to try out for the team contribute to the development of the plot?
A. It introduces a new setting where Jordan will spend most of his time practicing basketball.
B. It reveals that Jordan is no longer interested in playing basketball with the other students.
C. It creates an opportunity for Jordan to face his fear and demonstrates a change in how he responds to challenges.
D. It resolves Jordan's conflict by guaranteeing that he will successfully make the basketball team and will be the star.
What is It creates an opportunity for Jordan to face his fear and demonstrates a change in how he responds to challenges?
After missing several questions on the first round of the academic competition, Elena lowered her pencil and considered leaving. She remembered how her teammates had stayed after school to help her prepare and how her coach had reminded her that one difficult moment did not define her abilities. Elena took a breath, picked up her pencil, and continued working until the round ended.
Which inference about Elena is BEST supported by the details in the excerpt?
A. Elena depends on other people to make important decisions for her when she faces a challenge.
B. Elena is motivated by the support of others and uses their encouragement to persevere when she becomes discouraged.
C. Elena believes that her teammates expect her to succeed, so she feels obligated to finish the competition.
D. Elena is more concerned about disappointing her coach than about improving her own performance.
What is Elena is motivated by the support of others and uses their encouragement to persevere when she becomes discouraged?
In the early 1900s, many cities began creating public parks as their populations grew. City planners recognized that crowded neighborhoods often had few places where residents could exercise, relax, or spend time outdoors. Parks also provided children with spaces for recreation. Over time, some cities expanded their park systems and added playgrounds, walking paths, athletic fields, and other facilities. These changes gave more residents opportunities to use public outdoor spaces.
Which statement BEST provides an objective summary for the passage?
A. Public parks were an excellent idea because growing cities desperately needed better places for people to relax.
B. As cities grew, planners developed and expanded public parks to provide residents with spaces for recreation, exercise, and outdoor activities.
C. City planners should continue building parks because children especially need safe places to play and exercise.
D. Public parks completely solved the problems caused by crowded neighborhoods in growing cities.
What is As cities grew, planners developed and expanded public parks to provide residents with spaces for recreation, exercise, and outdoor activities?
A passage begins by describing a problem facing a community. The next section explains several possible solutions, and the final section describes the solution the community chose.
How does the text structure help the author develop the central idea?
A. It shows events in the order they happened.
B. It explains how one event caused another.
C. It presents a problem and examines ways to address it.
D. It shows similarities and differences between two communities.
What is It presents a problem and examines ways to address it?